“Almost every year that The Ravener has risen, a student studying at Generasi has sought to investigate the phenomenon to find an answer to your kingdom’s plight.” Professor Jules said gravely. “Remains of its monsters have been transported here before. As have remains of its…” she paused. “They are called dungeon cores, are they not?”
“Yes,” Carey London said.
Alex leaned forward further. So they had been studied here.
“Even some remains of th...
2021-05-15 00:14:08 +0000 UTC
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Alex nearly choked on his apple pie as Khalik worked to swallow his.
Isolde looked at Thundar as she stopped eating.
“What happened to them?” Khalik asked. “For them to fail altogether…did they run into another bonedrinker?”
“No…I talked to one of the group. She’s going to be in first year battle magic class with me. It seems it went bad right from the beginning. One of their members came in wearing a full shirt of chainmail.”
Isolde twitched.
...
2021-05-14 00:08:05 +0000 UTC
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At last he had all the components needed for his greatest masterpiece yet. Grinning like an evil warlord in an old legend, Alex Roth gloated over the fruits of his labour.
From outside this place of incredible heat, he heard groans of misery. Students had dragged themselves from their beds at midday, most worse for wear from partying the night before. Wine bottles filled the tables, benches and ground of the courtyard, where a muttering groundskeeper was cleaning up.
The hungover ...
2021-05-12 23:58:22 +0000 UTC
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“Have a seat; we’ll debrief on the test and talk about what you can learn from your experiences today.” Baelin waved a hand over the flat top of the escarpment.
Stone benches with curved backs shimmered into being atop the stone. The students looked at each other and silently poured their tired bodies into the seats, some stretching over the backs of the benches. Now that they’d made it through the test and could finally savor a moment of calm, Alex realized that Derek wasn’t ...
2021-05-11 21:40:50 +0000 UTC
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The group pushed as hard as they could, trying to scramble over broken rocks and ground. Dust scattered. Stones and pebbles shifted. The heat blazed mercilessly and their goal seemed to not get any closer.
The Barrens were starting to come alive with sound.
The flying students who had abandoned their companions had reached the top of the escarpment and disappeared out of view.
Now that they were getting closer, Alex could see a narrow circular flight of steps cut into the si...
2021-05-09 00:32:14 +0000 UTC
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Dust exploded from the ground.
Muupkaras emerged from the earth around them, screeching, with rocks raised above their heads. There were only eight this time, but now they had the element of surprise. They threw the stones with full force and surprising skill.
“Oof!” Alex groaned as one struck him in the chest and another cracked off his forehead. The lesser force armour absorbed much of the impact, but the weight of the blows were enough to send him stumbling backwar...
2021-05-07 22:41:22 +0000 UTC
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The spinning forceball shot over the ground, ploughing through the dust and kicking clouds of grit into the air. Alex guided the spell to shoot in front of each little monster, spraying the dust into their open mouths, eyes and large ears as he whirled it along the ground in between them.
The Mark didn’t react to the indirect effect, much like how it didn’t react to the statues’ eye-beams chasing his forceball and striking the spiders in the Cave of the Traveller. The creatures be...
2021-05-06 21:59:36 +0000 UTC
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Hello folks, so writathon is done and so am I. The End.
I'm kidding, I'm kidding! No need for pitchforks.
The writathon was a real challenge that pushed me to my limits. Before this month, I was much, much slower. But I guess you could say I levelled up.
So I'll be shifting my schedule going forward to five days per week. This means that I will be releasing chapters on here, royal road and any other websites on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...
2021-05-05 21:15:51 +0000 UTC
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Thundar slowly crept forward, and they followed cautiously as he led them away from the canyon.
The minotaur sniffed the air while pointing his snout down toward the earth. Alex kept his forceball close and had unslung a staff—it was just a broomstick with its head off; he was taking no chances with The Mark’s interference—from the top of his pack. He held it in first guard and was ready to drop into second at any moment.
Both movements were feeling quite natural to him now....
2021-05-05 21:04:09 +0000 UTC
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Baelin’s spell was different from The Traveller’s magic.
When he had passed through The Saint of Alric’s portal, Alex had seen scenes of many places—it had seemed like he was speeding through different realms and worlds with every blink—but with this spell, he only saw swirls of light.
A rushing feeling filled his gut, and the magic felt somehow familiar.
With a pop, suddenly he stood alone in the Barrens of Kravernus.
Blasted rock crunched beneath his feet a...
2021-05-04 20:52:54 +0000 UTC
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“Do you think we are ready?” Khalik asked as the two young men walked toward the training grounds.
“Maybe?” Alex shrugged. “There’s no way we’re going to know that until we actually get where we’re going and find out what sort of evil’s been planned for us.”
“True enough,” Khalik forced his eyes forward as the stadium loomed in front of them. “I wish we knew more.”
“Yeah, so do I, man, so do I.”
Alex had woken up before dawn that morning...
2021-05-03 22:52:48 +0000 UTC
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A little bonus today: the sketch turned into this! New cover soon for RR.
2021-05-02 23:58:38 +0000 UTC
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Something chimed from the top of the hill, carried to Theresa’s ears by the late summer wind. The air was fresh and warm but inside, she felt cold.
Theresa Lu—great-granddaughter of Twinblade Lu—was almost as scared as when that giant insect monster had come rising from the dark beneath The Traveller’s sanctum. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at her little map of Generasi’s campus—looking at the spot on the green that LIFE-1075: Lifeforce Enforcement I was supposed to be h...
2021-05-02 23:38:39 +0000 UTC
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The fraternity leader’s smile faded as Alex and Khalik roared with laughter.
“Why-why are you laughing?” Alex wheezed.
Khalik was nearly coughing as he tried to catch his breath. “He does not know what he says! In…in my country calling someone a coward is insult enough to trigger an honour duel! But look at him! He is no warrior! It is like a young child trying to give insult! Rarely, have I seen anything so ridiculous! Why do you laugh?”
Alex was laughi...
2021-05-01 22:28:29 +0000 UTC
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Training Day 21
Push-ups: 16, 15, 12 TOTAL= 43
Experimentation Day 3: BEGIN. FINISHED. Result: Increasing speed. No improvement of forceball
Skills: Running - COMPLETE, Reading - COMPLETE, Writing - COMPLETE, Spear-And-Oar Dance (8th day of practice -
Alex let out a breath as he shifted from first position and back stepped into the first step of the Spear-And-Oar Dance. He raised an old broomstick into first guard then proceeded to ...
2021-04-30 21:14:29 +0000 UTC
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Alex’s breath came in gasps as he ran along the path.
With each dull thud of his feet hitting the ground, images flooded him from The Mark: previous times he’d run or exerted himself. Beside him floated his forceball. He’d hung a basket over it using a cross tie of ropes, filling the basket with just enough items to not exceed the spell’s limit of weight that it could support.
At twelve days into his training, The Mark had corrected his push-up form greatly, and now it was...
2021-04-29 18:46:30 +0000 UTC
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They ran out of the forest to see a reptilian monster rushing toward Selina from across the field.
It was huge—the size of a half-grown brown bear—and was covered in white scales. All four claws churned the earth. Horns rose from its head and steam burst from between its jaws and nostrils. A massive tail whipped back and forth as it sped through the field.
At its back Alex could see someone running after the beast—frantically calling and waving a hand—but the only thing he...
2021-04-28 23:30:23 +0000 UTC
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The beastarium had been a good idea.
It was a soaring, round complex of forest and field—that most of Alric could fit within—surrounded by circular stone walls capped by a massive dome of magically enhanced supporting crossed brass bars.
To one side, there was a sitting area with tables and benches throughout for folk to sit, study or contemplate. They could also picnic in the field or treed area. The sheer number of unique animals and trained monsters were mind boggling.
<...
2021-04-28 00:03:20 +0000 UTC
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“This is a dark day for the potions department, I want you all to know that.” A voice cracked like a whip as Alex opened the door to the lecture hall.
The door emerged onto the back of the class, which was set up like a half-bowl with built-in long tables for students to sit at on each level, like how the stadium was built. At the bottom of the incline, a woman stood on a stage in front of a massive slab of obsidian, which was covered in half-erased diagrams and formulae.
2021-04-26 23:15:52 +0000 UTC
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Training Day 3
Three Sets of Push-Ups: BEGAN. 10,9,8. DONE. TOTAL=27
Spell-Testing: BEGAN.
Alex closed the book and slipped out of the room again, stretching after his morning exercises. His footsteps were very quiet now, at least to him. He was nowhere near Theresa’s natural silence, but he’d reached the level of someone who had been putting effort into the skill for awhile.
The insula was still quiet this early in the morning, though he...
2021-04-26 00:31:42 +0000 UTC
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Hello! In addition to today's chapter, I'm also posting an in-progress surprise. I had a cover commissioned for Fool, and it's coming along. You can see some of the early sketch versions of Alex, Selina, Theresa and Brutus.
Some of the clothing designs will change, as this is an in-progress sketch but I thought y'all might like to see. :)
Enjoy and have a great night/evening/morning, wherever you are!
2021-04-24 23:24:21 +0000 UTC
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“Oh!” Alex stood up quickly in respect. “Hello professor…”
The goatman waved him back into his seat. His fingers were almost as big as Selina’s wrists. “Don’t bother with all that, I’m not one for formality. And the name is Baelin.”
“Alex Roth, First Year, and whatever you say, professor, you’re literally the boss here.” Alex sat down casually. “So, you think I should take it, Professor Baelin?”
“If I had my way, it would be compulsory,” Bae...
2021-04-24 23:16:12 +0000 UTC
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“Can I help you, young man?” A woman, whose complexion seemed to shift from orange to brown, looked at him from behind another desk set into the wall. Her ears were long and pointy like the witches in Alric’s fairy tales. But unlike Alric’s witches, hers were covered in feathers.
“Um, yes, it’s my first day, and I’m looking to use the library.”
“I see, well, welcome to Generasi. Might I see your student’s plate?”
With pride, Alex dug out the round woode...
2021-04-23 22:26:12 +0000 UTC
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Thmp. Thmp. Thmp.
Three bags landed on the floor.
Creeeeeak.
The door to the apartment closed and locked.
“We’re finally here!” Alex pumped his fists. “We did it!”
The apartment was a fine place, just as Hobb had described it. The central area was narrow but long, leaving enough room for a circular dining table, desk, small bookshelf, and small pantry. The hardwood floors had been freshly polished and the doors to two bedrooms lay open...
2021-04-22 22:50:24 +0000 UTC
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“Was that a potion detonation?” a tiny, white haired woman was sprinting through the courtyard with a staff in her hand. “Please tell me that was a potion detonation. If it was another bad summoning circle-”
“There’s no demonology scheduled in The Cells today,” said a sharply dressed man in spectacles. “So if that is a summoning circle, that student better hope all they get is expelled!”
“Um, excuse me?” Alex got their attention. “Which wa...
2021-04-21 23:00:43 +0000 UTC
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“So, the good news is Uldar’s priests aren’t common here.” Theresa rejoined Alex and Selina in the crowd. Brutus padded behind her, his heads moving every which way following all of the new sights and smells.
The amount of people on the streets—even in the rain—was overwhelming. Despite Alex wanting to move quicker, there was no way he could without forcing through the press of hooded figures around them. He held tightly to Selina’s hand.
His eyes kept darting around...
2021-04-20 22:45:42 +0000 UTC
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When Alex Roth imagined his arrival at the city of wizards, he’d always imagined the sun being high and his mood being high too. That morning as The Red Siren passed among the outer islands, the sky was grey and the rain poured.
He’d hardly slept, and he was still thinking about the fight from last night. His entire body ached from his fall down the stairs—he’d been lucky it hadn’t been worse—and his hands shook against the rail. At least they were shaking less than...
2021-04-20 22:41:04 +0000 UTC
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The creature leapt with unnatural speed as Alex moved; stumbling away as it crashed into the rail he’d just been in front of. It shook its head, seeming to clear its senses.
‘Dazed,’ Alex though. ‘Still dazed from when it ran into the forceball.’
His mind worked. He turned, sprinting toward the stairs leading below deck. He hated the idea of bringing it close to where his sister slept, but if he could wake the crew, and Theresa and Brutus, then it’d be the best hope fo...
2021-04-20 22:28:49 +0000 UTC
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“Looks like rain’s coming in after all.” Gel-Dor eyed the clouds to the western horizon.
“Damn.” Fan-Dor cursed beneath his breath. “Well, at least it doesn’t look like a bad storm. Clouds are too light and the wind’s too low. Ek-u-Dari must have liked our dance well enough.”
The crew and passengers had gathered on the starboard side of The Red Siren to see what was happening when they’d heard that a storm might be brewing.
“He’s rig...
2021-04-20 22:26:03 +0000 UTC
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Footsteps creaked across the deck.
“Good morn-” A pause. “Afternoon, I suppose.”
A middle-aged woman—half of the couple that attended the ceremony the night before—drew up beside Alex and Theresa, and leaned against the rail, yawning. “Late evenings get harder as you get older, just to warn you two. Of course, I never seem to learn.” She laughed. “Are you vacationing in Generasi?”
“Uh, studying, actually,” Alex said, throwing another glance over...
2021-04-20 22:22:02 +0000 UTC
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